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CALLIGRAPHY

Turkish calligraphy is a unique artistic creation although calligraphy itself is not of Turkish origin. Ottomans adopted it with religious fervor and inspiration, taking this art to its pinacle over a five hundred year period.

The literal meaning of the Turkish word for calligraphy (hat) is line or way. In essence, Husn-i Hat comprises the beautiful lines inscribed with reed pens on paper using ink made from soot. In the 13th century, Yakut-ul-Mustasimi,a calligraphist from Amasya, made a breakthrough in calligraphy by using nibs of various widths and sizes in one composition. Later calligraphists followed and developed his methods. Later, Sheyh Hamdullah, a famous calligraphist from the period of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, introduced major changes in the traditional seven writing styles and put the mark of the Turkish national character on Islamic writing. His followers further improved Turkish calligraphy over the centuries. Hafiz Osman, Mustafa Rakim, Yesari Mehmet, Sevki Efendi, Sefik Bey, Mahmut Celaleddin, Kadiasker Mustafa Izzet, Sultan Mahmut II, Aziz Efendi, Necmettin Efendi, Sami Efendi and Hamid Aytac are all noted Turkish calligraphists who contributed to the development of this art.

Turkish calligraphists have always made the paper, pens and ink they used. The paper used to be painted with natural dyes. Then it was polished with boiled starch and egg white. The paper dressed in this way allowed for easily correcting mistakes. Pens were made of hard reeds. Bigger pens (known as "celi") were made of wood. To produce ink, the calligraphists used to burn materials such as pine and linseed oils.

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Where to go for a true Meyhane at night ...

On the historic side of the Golden Horn, in Balat, is Balat Sahil Restoran. It has been open for 23 years and its owner’s family emigrated from the Black Sea town of İnebolu, renowned for its various produce and local dishes. As residents of Balat, which has been home to many immigrants from many corners of Anatolia in the later years of the 20th century, first Cemal Akdemir and now his son Mustafa cook up regional İnebolu meze here in the plain yet tasteful meyhane, looking much more like a traditional meyhane of the early 20th century. "Before 1972," Cüneyt Akdemir tells us, "Balat housed people from three religions, but the Jewish community was the majority. And Balat always had a meyhane culture." The Akdemir family succeeds in keeping the meyhane tradition alive with about 30 different kinds of mezze; among them are pickled mushrooms, thinly sliced and fried liver from the city of Sinop, and stuffed onions in olive oil. Mürselpaşa Caddesi No.245, Balat; T: (0212) 525 61 85

Çukur meyhane, located at the basement of an apartment building on a side street off of İstiklal Caddesi, is probably the closest it gets to the original meyhanes. Little light comes in, but the mezzes served in the hands of Halil Bayram are simple yet flavorful. The grilled hamsi skewers, the likes of which are hard to come by anywhere else, are worth mentioning. Turnacıbaşı Caddesi, Kartal Sokak No.1/A, Galatasaray; T: (0212) 244 55 75

Karaköy Lokantası, in the hotspot that Karaköy has now become, is a tradesmen’s restaurant by day, which turns into a meyhane in its own right by night. This ever-popular spot, where literary celebrities from Orhan Pamuk to Salman Rushdie may be seen rubbing shoulders with Istanbulites old and young, serves classic mezzes from lightly fried eggplant slices to mücver (courgette patties) served with its own yogurt sauce. The selection of offal, from lamb’s brain to Albanian liver, can be enjoyed best when its savory aftertaste is washed down by the aniseed of rakı. Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mahallesi, Kemankeş Caddesi No.37, Karaköy; T: (0212) 292 44 55

Lastly, Safa Meyhanesi, located in Yedikule right by the historic city walls still retains the characteristic gedikli meyhane vibe from the last days of the Ottoman Empire, with its specific interior architecture and seating arrangement. Open since 1948, Safa has seen the transformation of meyhanes from wine drinking to rakı drinking locales. As per meyhane tradition, Safa does not serve large fish, and instead presents a selection of small mezes such as paçanga böreği (puff pastry stuffed with pastırma, a type of cured meat, and cheese) and the meyhane staple, Albanian liver. İlyasbey Caddesi No.121, Yedikule, Zeytinburnu; T: (0212) 585 55 94

The koltuk meyhane that Ara Güler (the most famous Turkish-Armenian photographer of the 20th century) photographed in the late 1960s may have disappeared from the public sphere, but this renewed nostalgia for meyhanes, for the authentic flavors of mezzes which for so long were lovingly prepared by this city’s minorities, and for the quality of conversation that flows in the company of rakı, is once again a reminder of Istanbul’s rich cultural heritage and the memories of its people, past and present.

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Istanbul's Yerebatan Cistern undergoes restoration after 500 years:The historic Yerebatan (Basilica) Cistern, which is Turkey’s third most visited spot in Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration process for the first time after 500 years.The restoration, carried out by Hera Restoration, will last for 450 days and end on March 11, 2018. The cistern will be open to visitors during the restoration process.The works are expected to rearrange the entrance and exit sections of the cistern due to overcrowding at the entrance of the cistern, where visitor queues have occasionally extended to the streets and caused discomfort among visitors. The entrance will be covered with a glass roof and a waiting area will be built.The restoration plan also includes maintenance works on the walking route inside the cistern. Particularly on rainy days, the ceiling has caused water leakages, causing slippery surfaces. An isolation system will be made on the ceiling.The reinforced concrete platform in the cistern structure will be removed and replaced with a new platform to be built with modern materials.The cistern’s columns, walls and vaults will also be reinforced with the guidance of a technical report. The columns that were reinforced in previous restorations will be removed and restored to their original.The 4th century Million Stone, which is located in the park next to the cistern and recognized as the beginning of all ancient Roman ways and the center of the world and the 16th century water gag will also undergo restoration.Located opposite to the Hagia Sophia in Sultanahmet in the historical peninsula, the cistern was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 542. The cistern, which is 140 meters in length and 70 meters in width, is accessed via a 520-step-stone staircase. In the cistern, there are 336 columns, each of which is nine meters in length, which most of them are thought to have been removed from old structures. Among them 295 columns are in the open area and 41 are in the closed area.The Yerebatan Cistern covers an area of 8,678 square meters; of which 7,648 square meters is open area and 1030 square meters is closed area. The cistern has a storage capacity of 100,000 tons of water.Two upside-down Medusa bases below two columns in the northwestern corner of the cistern are considered to be masterpieces of Roman-era sculpture and are the most popular parts of the cistern for visitors. It is still a mystery as to where the sculptures were brought to the cistern.It is one of the most important spots for tourists visiting Istanbul from all around the world. The cistern was restored by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and opened to visitors in 1987.www.privateistanbulwalkingtours.com #privateistanbulwalkingtours #ontripadvisor #turkeyistanbultours private tours in Istanbul. Walking tours in Istanbul. #Istanbul walks. #maidentower #istanbul #hagiasophia #topkapipalace #bluemosquehttp://www.privateistanbulwalkingtours.com http://www.turkey-istanbultours.comReview us on tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293974-d10212401-Reviews-Private_Istanbul_Walking_Tours-Istanbul.htmlPrivate tours in Istanbul, Istanbul tours, Istanbul tour, walking tours in Istanbul, food tours in Istanbul, Ephesus Tours, Cappadocia tours, Gallipoli tours, Turkey tours and TripAdvisor Istanbul tours.